Municipal Fund Securities

Links to Other Resources

Listed below are a few of the many resources available for obtaining further information about municipal fund securities.  The MSRB does not control or maintain these web sites, nor does it guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information on these web sites.

529 College Savings Plan Resources:  Several organizations provide information regarding 529 college savings plans, pre-paid tuition plans and other investment vehicles for paying higher education costs.  Links to some of these organizations are provided below.  Links are also provided to free on-line publications designed to assist parents in making investment decisions and understanding the related federal tax consequences in connection with the financing of their children’s college education.

	College Savings Plans Network (CSPN)
	Investment Company Institute (ICI)
	Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA)
	College Savings Foundation (CSF)
	An Introduction to 529 Plans (SEC)
	A Guide to Understanding 529 Plans (CSPN, NASAA, ICI)
	Your College Saving Options (The College Board)
	Smart Saving for College -- Better Buy Degrees (NASD)
	Publication 970 -- Tax Benefits for Education (IRS)

 

Local Government Investment Pool Resources:  Comprehensive information on LGIPs can be difficult to find, especially on the Internet.  NAST’s “Your State Treasurer” web site page provides links to the state treasurers.  Many state treasurers’ web sites provide information on LGIPs offered in their states, although this information may not cover all LGIPs offered in each state.  In particular, the California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission has published an assessment of LGIPs within the State of California that provides useful general information on LGIPs.  In addition, Standard & Poor’s, a private rating service that has been recognized by the SEC as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”), provides on its web site some basic information on LGIPs and a comprehensive review of its ratings of certain LGIPs.  Other NRSROs, such as Moody’s Investors Services, Inc. and Fitch Ratings, also provide ratings for LGIPs and information may be available from these services. The Governmental Accounting Standards Board establishes accounting standards applicable to LGIPs. Finally, NAST and the Government Finance Officers Association may have additional information available in printed form.

	National Association of State Treasurers (NAST)
	Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)
	California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission -- Assessment of Local Government Investment Pools:  A Survey of California County Pools
	Standard & Poor's -- LGIP Ratings Information
	Moody's Investors Service
	Fitch Ratings
	Governmental Accounting Standards Board

 

Federal Regulators:  Links are provided to various federal regulatory agencies.

	Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
	NASD
	Comptroller of the Currency (OCC -- U.S. Department of the Treasury)
	Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
	Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
	Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS -- U.S. Department of the Treasury)
	Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

 

State Regulators:  A link is provided to the North American Securities Administrators Association’s “Find Regulator” web site page.  This page provides links to the state securities regulators.

North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) -- Find a State Regulator

 

Commercial Resources:  Several commercial Internet web sites have been developed to provide information regarding 529 college savings plans and other education savings options.  These can easily be found by using an Internet search engine and conducting a search using terms such as “college savings plan”, “saving for college” or “529 plan”, among others.  The MSRB does not endorse any of these sites, nor does it review such sites to ensure that information provided is fair, accurate or complete.  To the extent that any of these sites are operated by broker-dealers subject to the jurisdiction of the MSRB, such sites must comply with MSRB Rule G-21, on advertising.